The present invention relates generally to protective scaffold covers and more specifically to a system and method for covering scaffold ends.
Typically, a scaffold is a temporary structure used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures. The scaffold rests adjacent to the building to provide access to the building. In this manner, construction material may be efficiently traversed to desired areas of the building or structure.
Because scaffolds are formed from hollow tubes with open ends, they often become resting places for debris. The debris can include rivets, screwdrivers, welding rods, dust and liquid. The debris causes undesirable results, such as weighing down the scaffold and falling out on a pedestrian or worker.
As a result, some scaffold ends have small extensions with protrusions to seal these open scaffold ends. The protrusions are relatively small and may not be too visible. Consequently, the protrusions may form dangerous extensions capable of poking an unwary pedestrian or worker.
One common solution to avoid inadvertently walking or bumping into scaffold ends is to provide a force-cushioning buffer on the scaffold to help dissipate the force of impact from these types of collisions. However, the buffer can easily dislodge from the scaffold end if not secured properly due to weather conditions, construction accidents, and collisions.
The cost of buffering all of the scaffold ends on a large scaffold structure is also problematic for larger buildings that require extensive scaffold structures. These techniques have had limited, if any, success.
There is a need to address one or more of the foregoing disadvantages of conventional systems and methods, and the present invention meets this need.